Barclays Initiates Coverage on Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD)

Analysts at Barclays started coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set an “equal weight” rating and a $155.00 price target on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Barclays‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 2.38% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms also recently commented on GILD. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $171.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, HSBC boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:GILD opened at $151.40 on Friday. Gilead Sciences has a 12 month low of $93.37 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $133.47 and its 200 day moving average is $123.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.84 billion, a PE ratio of 22.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $617,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,920 shares in the company, valued at $1,101,620. The trade was a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 167,779 shares in the company, valued at $25,910,110.97. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 319,891 shares of company stock worth $45,091,556. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GILD. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Gilead Sciences by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,326,000 after acquiring an additional 2,450 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $215,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at about $319,000. Finally, Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,470 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Gilead Sciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and firm guidance: Gilead reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 est. and $7.93B revenue (above estimates) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85 — a catalyst for re-rating. Analyst Reactions Post‑Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $165 and kept a Buy rating, adding analyst-driven upside (~mid-single digits vs. current levels). Argus PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho lifted its target to $170 and kept an Outperform rating, supporting a higher consensus valuation and momentum for buy‑side flows. Mizuho PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal‑Weight rating and $155 target — neither a strong buy nor a sell signal, but it provides fresh institutional coverage. Barclays Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst and media coverage (Zacks, Yahoo, Benzinga retrospectives) is keeping GILD in focus for retail/institutional investors; these pieces inform positioning but are mixed in directional impact. Zacks Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in the feed looks anomalous/zeroed out and provides no clear sell pressure signal at present (data likely noisy).
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares (~$154.43 avg price) — a small amount but negative for sentiment when combined with other insider moves. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider sale: Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares (~$154.44 avg), an ~18.9% reduction in her holding — a larger ticket that can weigh on investor confidence. Mercier Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: “Time to take profits” / rating downgrade commentary is circulating, which can trigger short‑term selling from momentum traders. Seeking Alpha Take‑Profits Piece

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Foster City, California, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines in areas of high unmet medical need. The company initially built its reputation in antiviral therapies and has since expanded into oncology, cell therapy and inflammatory diseases. Gilead operates a global research and commercial organization, conducting clinical development and selling medicines in markets around the world.

Gilead’s product portfolio is anchored by antiviral therapies for HIV and viral hepatitis.